GE cotton: Three states refuse NOC for field trials

GE cotton: Three states refuse NOC for field trials

Subject: Science and Technology

Section: Places in news

Context:

• Four locations viz. Haryana, Gujrat, Telangana and Maharashtra have been chosen for biosafety research trials (BRL) of genetically engineered (GE) cotton hybrids. Only Haryana has approved the field trial.

Details:

• 42 locations across India have been selected for ‘notified field trials’ (NFT) to conduct confined tests of GE crops.
• Plots in five districts were proposed in 2022 for conducting BRL-1 (first year) trial of GE cotton hybrids for resistance against pink bollworm — Ranga reddy in Telangana, Jalna and Akola in Maharashtra, Junagadh in Gujarat and Hisar in Haryana.

Pink bollworm and Bollgard technology:

• The pink bollworm is an insect known for being a pest in cotton farming.
• Bollgard1 and Bollgard 2 help in developing genetically modified crop plants.Bollgard cotton provides in-built protection for cotton against destructive Bollworm infestations, and contains an insecticidal protein from a naturally occurring soil microorganism, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
• BollgardBt cotton (single-gene technology) is India’s first biotech crop technology approved for commercialization in India in 2002.
• Bollgard II technology contains a superior double-gene technology – Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab which provides protection against bollworms and Spodoptera caterpillar.

Resistance against genetically modified crops:

• The Coalition for GM Free India, a platform of organisations and individuals representing farmers, consumers, experts and activists against genetically modified (GM) crops, has termed these recent events as coercion of state governments for NOCs of field trials.
• State governments like Telangana and Gujarat have declined to provide NOCs, but the GEAC is forcing them to provide reasons or break their silence.
• Agriculture is a state subject and state governments’ involvement is essential for compliance monitoring.
• Recently, GM crop Dhara Mustard Hybrid (DMH-11) received the environmental clearance on October 18, 2022.

Why states are refusing the biosafety trials of genetically  modified crops?

• Environmental concerns.
• Impact on agriculture of the region.
• Contamination issue of BN Bt cotton.
• It may adversely impact the health of the flora and fauna of the region.
• The Coalition for GM Free India: a platform of organisations and individuals representing farmers, consumers, experts and activists against genetically modified (GM) crops.
• Corporatisation of agriculture.

Bikaneri BT cotton contamination issue:

• The GM cotton variety in question- Bikaneri NermaBt or BN Bt– was developed by the Nagpur-based Central Institute for Cotton Research(CICR) of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research(ICAR).
• It was commercialised in 2009 and was touted as an alternative to GM cotton marketed by Mahyco.
• Two years back, Mahyco complained to ICAR that BN Bt, in fact, contained a gene developed by its partner Monsanto.
• The Sopory Committee was formed to look into the matter and the committee confirmed that the BN Bt got contaminated with the gene developed by the Monsanto.